Rascal Flatts Given Humanitarian Award at 2012 Country Radio Seminar

As the annual Country Radio Seminar kicked off this morning in Nashville, Rascal Flatts were honored for their charitable efforts. The country trio received the 2012 Humanitarian Award during Wednesday’s opening session.

Country Music is Love reports that Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox were on hand to accept the glass statuettes. “It’s a little uncomfortable to be recognized for something we feel we should be doing,” DeMarcus said. “We have been so blessed with an amazing career, to pay the blessings forward seemed the most natural thing to do.”

According to a press release at the group’s website, Rascal Flatts donated $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Surgery Center (named the Rascal Flatts Surgery Center) in 2010. They serve as celebrity spokespersons for numerous charitable organizations and have been members of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet for seven years.

In 2012, the trio will begin raising money for the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s neonatal center. “‘Cause, you know, it’s the only thing, medically, that they just have no clue on why children are born premature,” LeVox said in January. “So we’re going to do what we can to help try to find out and see if we can’t just be a small part of trying to change history a little bit.”

“The board is very pleased to honor Rascal Flatts with the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award,” CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne said. “They join a long, distinguished list of celebrities who have received this prestigious award since it was instated in 1990.”

On April 3, Rascal Flatts will release their eighth studio album. ‘Changed’ will feature their current single, ‘Banjo.’